10-year-old boy abandoned during human smuggling arrest

By KTAR Newsroom | January 10, 2013 at 6:03 pmUPDATED: January 10, 2013 at 6:03 pm

A 10-year-old boy was abandoned for a short time by his mother during a human smuggling arrest on Thursday, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

The boy was in a van with 12 other people when MCSO deputies attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver fled a short distance at a high rate of speed before coming to a halt. The driver, another passenger and the boy’s mother attempted to flee on foot. All were quickly apprehended.

Deputies learned 12 people, all Mexican nationals, had paid a smuggler between $1,400 and $4,000 each to be smuggled into the country. Their final destinations were scattered across the country.

Ten suspected illegal immigrants were booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail. Three, including the boy and his mother, were turned over to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.